Live Review: Florence + The Machine
Dance Fever Tour, 4th of March 2023 at the Perth RAC Arena
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photo by Duncan Barnes (RAC Arena/Frontier Touring supplied)
Choreomania, noun. an uncontrollable urge to dance, especially in a frenzied, convulsive manner. Major outbreaks of choreomania occurred in Europe during the Middle Ages. Also called dancing madness; dancing mania – American Psychological Association
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The onstage enigma descends from the throne, closing the gap with her adoring devotees. Donned in flowy bohemian and swaying like a care free vagabond, she projects the lyrical message of good, evil and imperfection of the female form. Her fans scream for attention, casting their arms, begging for a closer proximity. She accepts their invitation, raising and pressing herself onto the barrier. Standing high with an imperious stance while leaning in support against the canopy of hands, she soaks the energy from the unbridled hysteria and the spotlight, reflecting the angelic glow from her complexion. Sensing the opportunity, the marauding crowd fused their bodies towards the singer, but her energy is channelled towards a young girl. With their eyes locked and hand on cheek, her subject is hypnotised in awed silence, as she lyrically expels life’s burning questions by paraphrasing a story of her own;
Am I your dream girl, you think of me in bed, but you could never hold me…
She follows through with a kiss on the girl’s head – a sacred blessing of another kind.
Dream girl evil, Dream girl evil, as the crowd hauntingly chant in a beautiful harmony.
In Florence + The Machine’s latest album, Dance Fever drew most of the record’s inspiration from choreomania, or dance mania in which medieval Europeans danced themselves to exhaustion and sometimes to death due to an uncontrollable urge. The reasons of the outbreak include speculation of demonic possession and overheated blood, although centuries later through a more scientific research suggested a certain rye causing the convulsion. Florence Welch has also cited Iggy Pop as the biggest musical influence on the album.
The English singer songwriter is a self-confessed introvert who suffered from anxiety, depression and learning disability. But “I’m free when I dance”.
With those artistic fuel in mind, fans can anticipate the performance will be an allegory of poetry in motion and vocal trajectory.
The opening night of the Australian leg at Perth RAC Arena was sparked by Heaven is Here from Dance Fever. The claps, foot stomping, the heavy drums, the punchy vocals and the short burst of cries brought the earth, water and fiery element of witchcraft, transporting the audience into the drunken revelry of joy, anger and grief of medieval Europe. The next track was a slight breather in King. “I am no mother, I am no bride, I am King” defines her breathtaking stance as a non-conformist to societal norms, with the crescendo at the bridge before the outro was a grip on her expression, followed by an up tempo pop rock in Ship to Wreck, transcending an eclectic tremble early in the set list.
With three songs in, fans were already entrenched into the world of Florence Welch though her caffeinated angelic vocals and hypnotic stage motion. They rode on the lows and highs, head nodding to the staccato that never missed a beat. The operatic choir and the mezzo-soprano are youthful and bright. The manifestations of the dark lyrics were translucently beautiful, as she weaved her arms and spun several revolutions like a music box figurine, as if she’s executing the excruciating Rose Adage in the ballet of Sleeping Beauty. Fans were also entranced into a sorcery and witchery vibe of the ethereal surrouding, and those suffering from restrained headspace were exorcised of their anguish by two minutes past the hour.
“You’re wondering what the f*ck is this, is this a cult, am I safe, what’s going on? All I can tell you is if right now out there you’re feeling scared and nervous about what’s about to happen, I can only tell you it’ll be so much better to really give into it – I promise. And you’ll be completely fine. And everyone will take good care of you, and you’ll have the best time…if you do every single thing that I say. And when I say run, I need every single person in here to jump as high and as long as you can…are you with me?
Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father…”
The crowd was obedient; human tremor stuck the Perth RAC Arena by over ten thousand fans stomping the ground. Dogs Days Are Over drew a huge reception, fuelling a rage against melancholy and the infinite sadness, as Welch catapulted the fans onto to the shining light of happiness. The four minutes of captivation was again sublime as she exhorted the thematic energy of this song through her maniacal dream-like registers, while clogging into her stage energy that was as punchy as the message of hope.
“We will not go hungry this evening, thank you Perth”
Most of the tracks from Dance Fever were performed tonight such as Free and Choreomania – afterall the purpose of this tour is to promote her fifth studio album, and from the stomping euphoria, the reverberation and the thousands of mobile phone lights forming a mini city , the latest critically acclaimed album was well received. But for most, the classic breakout hit is always the special moment.
“I’ve not sung this song in ten years…it’s too hard for me to sing (chuckless), and it was so sad, and to think in the scope of my songs – that’s got to be really f*king sad (chuckles). But I associate it with the time of me being overwhelmed and very drunk…(chuckles)…over the last few years I had a lot of time to think this connection with all of you who come to these shows…fifteen years now…and what I’ve always done is every thought was too sad or painful, or even if I don’t try to reject that song, you loved it for me and you kept it safe until I could sing it again, so a thank you to all of you… and to be honest – for saving my life. And as a thank you, I wanna sing this again…”
So, the night culminated at the encore with the seminal piece Never Let Me Go. The synergy and imagery flow through the veins, as fans were once again hypnotised, as if looking at the moon from beneath the water, and swept freely by the waves. It may be a track of solitude and desperation, but her vocals are hypnotic as she slithered through the stage in classical vulnerability, exuding tensed countenance, hands weaving as if fighting while in trance against the demonic characters.
There we have it, with the night ending with dance bangers Shake It Out and Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), further showcasing Welch’s ability to stretch those mezza soprano with the pouncing vocals making her one one of the best singers to ever grace the major league. Florence Welch is the powerhouse of ethereal rock.
The opening act King Princes has a huge following across the globe, and Perth is no exception as screams of the maniacal sort were heard across the RAC Arena, normally reserved for a main act. She has toured with the likes of Harry Styles and Red Hot Chili Peppers thanks to her soulful vocals over a warm, atmospheric synth production. With track titles such as such Pussy is God, 1950, and Talia that drove the sing along, there’s little doubt the New Yorker will be the main act of an arena tour in the near future.
Florence + The Machine are touring across Australia. Visit Frontier Touring for tickets and info.
Sheldon Ang Media expresses his gratitude to Frontier Touring and Florence + The Machine for the invitation.
About the Writer: Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) have been accredited to photograph and review most of the arena and stadium tours in Perth including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone, Sting, KISS, Backstreet Boys, Harry Styles and RnB Fridayz Live, with reviews shared by the likes of UB40, Delta Goodrem, The Fabolous Caprittos and Synthony on social media. He has interviewed rockers Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Ian Moss (Cold Chisel) and forty other legends.
About the Photographer: Duncan Barnes, PhD is a Lecturer in the School of Arts and Humanities at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. He is also the Chief Photographer at the Perth RAC Arena.
